The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville
05/22/2014

Palladio Receives James Beard Invite

Melissa

Chef Melissa Close-Hart. Photo by Jackson Smith.

The national spotlight continues to shine on Charlottesville area food.  Just a week after news broke that Parallel 38 will cook at New York City’s The Beard House this August comes news of another area restaurant being invited there: Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Vineyards.

Of course, this type of attention is nothing new for Palladio, or its chef Melissa Close-Hart.  In her 14 years at the Italian fine dining destination, Close-Hart has won more national acclaim than any other area chef, with four James Beard nods as a semi-finalist for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic.  And, while it is special for a restaurant to receive even just one invitation to cook at The Beard House, this will be Palladio’s fifth appearance there.  Yes, fifth.  “It’s such an honor to be asked to bring the Palladio crew back to the Beard House,” said Close-Hart, who previously cooked there in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2012.

Scheduled for February 24, 2015, Palladio’s dinner will be a multi-course affair, paired with Barboursville wines, that will celebrate Virginia’s bounty of wonderful produce, like Rappahannock River Oysters, Caromont Farm Cheese, and Border Springs Lamb.  “We have a talented team here,” Close-Hart said, “and I’m ecstatic to go to New York and showcase what we are accomplishing here in Virginia. We are still working on the menu, but I plan on focusing on Virginia products paired with Luca Paschina’s great wines! ”

Congratulations to Melissa and the rest of the Palladio team.

 

05/16/2014

Five Finds on Friday: Jeanette Peabody

Jeanette Peabody

On Fridays, we feature five food finds selected by local chefs and personalities.  Today’s picks come from Jeanette Peabody, the former Hamiltons’ chef who now runs the kitchen of the new Oakhurst Inn, adjacent to UVa’s South Lawn.  The Inn serves breakfast to guests and the general public seven days a week from 7 – 10 am, with coffee service until 2 pm.  Parking is extremely limited, so it’s best to walk over for now.  Peabody’s picks:

1)  Spicy Italian Sausage from Double H Farm.  “It’s highly seasoned with lots of fennel and perfectly salted. Packs a serious punch and you can create any meal out of it. I used to buy it from my favorite farmer Richard Bean and thank goodness Ara is carrying on the recipe. You can buy it from him at the City Market.”

2)  Eating at the Bar at Hamiltons’.  “It’s the best bar service in town. You won’t get treated better by anybody than Daniel Page. Curtis has a real knack for home-made pasta. We’re still dreaming about the gnocchi he and Hannah made for the Hill & Holler dinner at Montalto.”

3)  Margaritas at Mono Loco. “Mike Lewis is the consummate comic host. On a whim he will create a new margarita with seasonal ingredients. I like the spicy cucumber.”

4)  Red Row cheese from Caromont Farm. “This melty deliciousness made such an impression on me I immediately decided to use it on the baked eggs at Oakhurst Inn. I need to have it close by at all times.”

5)  Thai Mussels at Public Fish & Oyster. “I’ve only been there once but it’s my new favorite place for now. You can do an oyster tasting starting with a briny Virginia people-pleaser leading up to a full-flavored Katama Bay. Chef Matty’s Thai Mussels are amazing.”

 

05/15/2014

Don’t Miss Al Carbon

Al Carbon

For several months now, we have been enjoying the excellent food at Al Carbon, the chicken rotisserie that opened in February on 29N.  Then, this week Kate Collier of Feast!, an Al Carbon fan herself, reminded us that we might actually want to tell folks about it.  Oh yeah!  That’s sort of what we’re all about – shining a light on the great food of Charlottesville.  Thanks, Kate!

Al Carbon’s menu is built around rotisserie chickens, which are marinated for 24 hours before being slowly roasted in a green charcoal oven imported from Peru.  Our Peruvian friends insist that Al Carbon’s chicken may not be quite as “authentico” as you might find at legendary Northern Virginian rotisseries like El Pollo Rico.  And, admittedly, Al Carbon’s aji sauce, the Peruvian condiment we often find addictive, is not their strong point.

But this is just quibbling.  Whatever Al Carbon’s food is, it sure is delicious.  The chicken can be ordered in many shapes and sizes, but one of our go-to orders is La Familia – a whole chicken with three sides from choices like fried plantains, fried yucca, grilled jalapenos, and green poblano rice.  At $17.95, it’s a great way to feed the family.

Also good are the sandwiches, called cemitas, which are served on sesame seed bread with avocado, adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese, and red onions.  Owners Myriam and Claudio are from Mexico, so these traditional Mexican sandwiches are right in their wheelhouse.  You can choose from chicken, chorizo, carne asada, or ham, but our favorite is the traditional filling of milanesa de res – pan-fried, breaded beef.

cemita

Also worthwhile, particularly if you’re not watching calories, is the “De la Feria” section of the menu, which loosely translates as food you’d find at a fair or carnival.  Choripapas are french fries with chorizo and green onions.  Elote con mayonesa is corn on the cob served on a stick with mayonnaise, rolled in cotija cheese, and sprinkled with chili powder and lime zest.  And frijoles charros, which some consider a hangover cure, are pinto beans with chorizo, bacon, roma tomatoes, and serrano chilis.

Finally, don’t sleep on the churros.  Extruded and fried to order right in front of you, they are outstanding.  A churro-loving friend of ours considers them the best churros he’s ever had.  That’s high praise given that he is chef of one of the top restaurants in town.